'^his  book  belongs  to 


LIBRARY   OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

PRINCETON,    N.  J. 
PRESENTED  BY 

Mr.  Ho  el  Lav/rence  McQueen 


BX  7732    .C6  1896 
Cornell,   John  J.,  1826-1909. 
The  principles  of  the 
religious  Society  of 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2015 


https://archive.org/details/principlesofreliOOcorn 


The  Principles 


OF  THE 


Religious  Society  of  Friends 


AND 


Some  of  Its  Testimonies. 


BY 


JOHN  J.  CORNELL. 


BALTIMORE : 
PRESS  OF  ISAAC  WALKER  &  CO. 
1896. 


CopyriKhted  1896,  by  John  J.  Cornell. 


This  book  is  published  upon  the  responsibility 
of  the  writer  alone,  and  not  by  authorit}-  of  the 
Societ}-. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Ill  sending  forth  this  little  book  to  the  public, 
the  writer  has  been  actuated  by  no  other  motive  or 
desire  than  to  answer  the  many  inquiries  which  come  to 
him  from  time  to  time,  both  from  those  who  are,  and 
those  who  are  not  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends, 
as  to  what  Quakerism  is;  and  realizing  the  need 
oi  answering  these  inquiries  with  such  explanations 
as  shall  appeal  to  the  thought  and  culture  of  the 
day,  he  has  been  induced  under  an  apprehension 
of  duty  to  write  out  that  which  his  own  conviction 
and  experience  have  taught  him  to  be  the  truth 
regarding  it. 

Hence,  he  has  endeavored  to  give  expression  to 
his  thought  upon  this  subject,  in  a  form  of  language 
which  he  hopes  will  comince  the  rational  under- 
standing and  judgment  of  his  readers,  from  their 
present  standpoint  of  culture,  that  they  are  practical 
and  true,  and  capable  of  an  adaptation  to  the  spiritual 
needs  of  man,  with  a  perfect  confidence  that  the 

5 


experience  of  human  life  will  confirm  every  position 
he  has  taken. 

With  the  humble  hope  that  it  may  remove 
doubts  from  some  minds,  strengthen  the  convictions 
of  others,  and  that  all  who  read  it  may  come  nearer 
to  the  Divine  Spirit,  in  thought,  in  hope,  and  in 
true  spiritual  life  in  the  present  state  of  existence,  and 
strengthen  the  assurance  that  as  each  one  lives  in 
close  obedience  to  the  "law  written  in  the  heart," 
there  awaits  us  in  the  eternal  life  a  glorious  welcome 
to  the  Heavenly  Father's  mansions,  he  sends  it 
forth  on  its  mission  of  love  and  good  will  to  men. 


5 


CHAPTER  FIRST. 


WHAT  IS  QUAKERISM? 

Quakerism  is  generally  understood  to  be  a  term 
applied  to  the  doctrines,  principles,  and  practices  of 
the  Religious  Society  of  Friends ;  but  it  should 
be  applied  to  their  fundamental  or  basal  principle, 
the  recognition  of,  and  belief  in,  the  immediate 
communion  of  the  Divine  Spirit  with  the  soul  or 
spiritual  nature  of  man,  through  which  communion 
there  is  revealed  directly  to  the  man  the  law 
necessary  for  his  guidance,  and  the  duty  to  be 
performed,  or  the  thought  to  be  controlled,  or  the 
act  to  be  restrained  from  committing ;  first  to  preserve 
the  man  from  the  commission  of  anything  which 
would  interfere  with  the  design  of  the  Divine  Spirit, 
calculated  to  promote  and  secure  his  happiness ;  or 
second,  if  at  any  time  there  has  been  a  violation  of 
law  or  neglect  of  duty,  that  has  interfered  with  or 
destroyed  his  happiness,  rest  or  peace  of  mind,  then 
to  restore  him  to  his  normal  state  of  acceptance  or 
harmony  with  God. 

This  idea  oi  belief  is  the  distinctive  feature  of 
Quakerism ;  and  though  the  sect  called  Friends  or 


7 


Quakers,  was  the  outcome  of  the  preaching  of  this 
doctrine  by  George  Fox,  yet  they  do  not  claim  -that 
it  originated  with  him,  nor  that  he  was  the  only  or 
first  discoverer  of  that  truth,  but  that  the  whole 
religious  history  of  man  as  found  in  the  Bible 
corroborates  it,  and  gives  ample  evidence  of  its  efficacy 
t®  produce  the  results  claimed  for  it. 

In  fact  all  knowledge  of  God,  and  of  things 
recognized  as  Divine,  are  admitted  by  all  classes  of 
christian  professors  to  ha\'e  been  received  through 
immediate  inspiration  or  Divine  revelation  to  man. 
Those  who  believe  in  the  Bible  as  the  present  alone 
source  of  religious  knowledge  and  instruction,  claim 
it  to  have  been  given  by  inspiration  to  the  men  who 
wrote  it,  as  a  direct  revelation  from  God. 

The  Friend  acknowledges  this,  but  claims  that, 
as  God  is  unchangeably  the  same  in  all  ages,  so  that 
medium  of  communication  between  the  immortal 
soul  or  spirit  of  man,  and  the  Divine  Spirit  has  not 
changed  or  weakened  since  man  first  became  a  living, 
sentient,  religious  being. 

It  must  be  self  evident,  that  before  the  Scriptures 
were  written,  or  in  the  earlier  history  of  the  race, 
there  was  no  other  means  for  the  man  to  acquire  a 
knowledge  of  his  obligations  to  his  Divine  Father 
than  through  this  immediate  revelation.  The  first  law 
given  to  man  as  his  guide  in  a  religious  life  came 
through  this  communion  with  the  spirit  face  to  face, 
or  directly,  without  any  intermediary  means ;  and  so 


8 


l  A-  as  the  Bible  tells  us,  this  was  the  manner  in  which 
God  communicated  His  will  or  law  to  man  for 
generations. 

There  was  no  \\-ritten  word  or  ministry  to 
which  they  might  look,  or  on  which  they  might 
depend,  and  it  was  not  until  the  children  of  Israel, 
while  wandering  in  the  wilderness,  in  their  impatience 
to  reach  the  promised  land,  murmured  against  this 
direct  guidance,  and  hardened  their  hearts,  and 
became  afraid  of  the  po\\  er  and  apprehended  judg- 
ments of  the  Almighty,  that  they  asked  for,  and  were 
granted,  the  mediator  or  an  intermediary  means  of 
obtaining  the  required  knowledge  for  their  spiritual 
guidance. 

But  we  must  not  conclude,  because  God  then 
met  and  adapted  his  laws  to  that  abnormal  condition, 
that  from  that  time  He  withheld  direct  communion 
with  the  spirit  of  man.  While  He  gave  to  them, 
through  Moses,  the  law  upon  the  tables  of  stone, 
there  was  nothing  in  that  inscription  that  had  any 
po\\  er  to  convince  them  it  was  the  law  of  God  and 
must  be  obeyed.  Nothing  short  of  the  impression 
of  the  Divine  Spirit,  or  the  Christ,  or  Grace  of  God 
upon  their  spirits  could  do  this ;  so  that  while  the 
Di\-ine  employed  the  human  instrument  to  unfold  the 
law,  He  was  working  upon  the  individual  mind,  to 
prompt  it  to  be  obedient  to  this  law.  Nor  was  this 
law  written  upon  the  tables  of  stone  anything  different 
from  that  given  Adam  in  the  garden,  that  of  keeping 


9 


and  dressing  all  the  trees  thereof,  if  we  understand 
these  expressions  to  be  allegorical,  and  as  referrijig  to 
the  different  powers  and  endowments  given  to  man. 
This  later  law  referred  to  the  control  of  that  in 
the  moral  conduct  of  men  which  was  wrong,  and 
which  would  only  follow  from  the  undue  indulgence 
of  that  which  w^as  right  in  itself,  when  properly 
controlled;  so  the  knowledge  of  how,  when,  and  where 
to  exercise  this  control,  for  one  who  had  no  previous 
experience,  could  only  come  to  him  through  this 
immediate  revelation. 

Then,  as  the  children  of  Israel  under  this  out-, 
ward  law,  as  appears  from  the  Biblical  account,  lapsed 
more  and  more  into  various  forms  of  idolatrv,  we 
have  the  record  that  from  time  to  time,  and  we  might 
say  continuously,  there  were  raised  up  prophets  to 
warn  them  against  the  course  they  were  pursuing,  and 
to  declare  and  point  out  the  results  that  would  follow ; 
and  at  the  same  time  they  called  their  attention  to  the 
ever-loving  kindness  and  long  forbearance  of  God, 
and  His  willingness  to  overlook  and  pardon  their 
errors  if  they  would  turn  from  their  idolatry. 

These  prophets  spoke  to  them  as  with  the 
authority  of  God,  with  the  "thus  saith  the  Lord;" 
and  all  professing  christians  acknowledge  that  they 
spoke  and  wrote  from  and  through  the  immediate 
inspiration  of  the  Divine  Spirit,  and  so  rely  upon 
these  statements  and  testimonies  as  authority  direct 
from  God. 


lO 


Jeremiah,  as  one  of  these  prophets,  had  the  clear 
vision  that  this  abnormal  state  of  things  would  be 
changed  ;  and  he  gives  expression  to  the  revelation 
given  him  in  this  language:  Jeremiah,  Chapter  31, 
Verses  31,  32,  33.  34- 

"  Behold  the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord,  that  I 
"  will  make  a  new  covenant  with  the  house  of  Israel, 
"and  with  the  house  of  Judah  : 

"  Not  according  to  the  covenant  that  I  made 
"  with  their  lathers,  in  the  day  that  I  took  them  by 
"the  hand  to  bring  them  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt; 
"  (which  my  covenant  they  brake,  although  I  was  a 
"husband  unto  them,  saith  the  Lord: 

"But  this  shall  be  the  covenant  that  I  will  make 
"  with  the  house  of  Israel :  After  those  days  I  will 
"  put  my  law  in  their  inward  parts  and  write  it  in  their 
"  hearts ;  and  will  be  their  God  and  they  shall  be  my 
"  people. 

"And  they  shall  teach  no  more  every  man  his 
"neighbor,  saying,  Know  the  Lord  ;  for  they  shall  all 
"know  me,  from  the  least  of  them  unto  the  greatest 
"of  them,  saith  the  Lord. 

Here  we  have  a  prophecy  of  a  return  of  the 
Israelites  to  the  normal  condition  of  man  in  his  rela- 
tion to  God,  and  the  manner  of  unfolding,  and  the 
reception  of  the  Divine  law  for  his  guidance. 

Quakerism,  from  the  standpoint  of  the  writer, 
accepts  the  ushering  in  of  this  new  covenant,  the 
fulfilling  of  the  Jewish  law  by  the  substitution  of  this 


II 


higher  and  more  perfect  covenant,  to  have  been  the 
emphatic  and  supreme  mission  of  Jesus  when  he 
came  into  the  world. 

It  was  Hved  out  and  exemplified  by  him,  as  in 
all  things  he  implicity  obeyed  the  will  and  direction 
of  the  Father,  and  claimed  no  higher  authority  for 
what  he  said  and  did  than  that  it  was  his  Father's 
will  and  direction,  thereby  controlling  all  the  allure- 
ments of  humanity,  overcoming  all  the  besetments  and 
temptations  he  met,  and  hence  living  a  life  without 
sin ;  and  through  this  dependence  upon,  and  obedi- 
ence to  the  will  or  command  of  the  Father,  leaving- 
upon  record,  those  sublime  sayings,  so  practical 
and  so  fully  adapted  when  obeyed  to  aid  us,  in  this 
day,  to  follow  the  revealed  law  of  to-day,  as  well  as  to 
perform  those  services  of  kindness  and  love  that 
were  so  prominent  in  his  mission. 

Had  his  disciples  and  those  whom  they  gathered 
around  them  after  his  crucifixion  fully  comprehended 
this  as  his  mission,  we  believe  the  so  called  Christian 
Church  would  not  have  lapsed  into  the  dark  days  of 
the  apostacy ;  but  by  overlooking  this  covenant, 
they  who  succeeded  them  began  to  build  up  systems 
based  upon  their  interpretations  of  the  sayings  of 
Jesus  and  the  Apostles,  but  more  largely  upon  those 
of  the  Apostles.  And  making  these  the  ultimatum 
of  the  ground  work  of  religious  belief  and  action, 
almost  ignoring  the  direct  revelation  of  the  Spirit, 
they  taught  that  the  revelations  contained  in  the 


12 


Bible  as  interpreted  and  adopted  by  them,  were  the 
only  rule  of  faith  and  practice  for  men. 

Into  this  night  of  religious  darkness,  there  came 
at  times  a  glimmer  of  light,  manifesting  itself  in  the 
protests  against  the  vices  and  immoralities  among  the 
heads  of  the  church,  but  finding  a  fuller  develop- 
ment in  the  mind  of  George  Fox,  who  from  early 
youth  found  something  within  him  restraining  him 
from  indulging  in  the  practices  common  in  his  day ; 
though  he  did  not  understand  the  source  from  whence 
these  restraining  feelings  came,  nor  why  he  could  not 
indulge  in  such  practices,  nor  was  he  able  to  find  a 
solution  to  the  problems  which  agitated  his  mind,  by 
reading  his  Bible  or  consulting  with  the  ministers,  to 
many  of  whom  he  went  for  counsel.  But  when  in  a 
season  of  retirement,  he  heard  the  voice  speaking  to 
his  inner  consciousness  in  such  a  way  as  to  satisfy  his 
spirit  and  bring  it  the  rest,  quiet,  and  assurance  he  had 
been  seeking,  he  became  convinced  it  was  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord  communing  with  him,  striving  to  direct 
his  life,  and  control  his  actions,  he  then  recognized 
the  truth  that  God's  revelation  of  His  will  and  law  to 
man  was  as  clear  in  his  day  as  it  had  been  in  the 
ages  that  were  past ;  and  so  he  went  forth  pro- 
claiming this  truth  amid  much  opposition  and  persecu- 
tion from  the  church  and  clergy. 

Because  of  the  powerful  wwkings  of  this  voice 
and  power  of  God  within  him  and  his  coadjutors, 
they  frequently  trembled  while  delivering  their  testi- 


13 


monies ;  so  in  derision  they  were  styled  Quakers,  and 
their  doctrines  denominated  Quakerism. 

From  that  day  to  the  present,  the  Society  of 
Friends  has  acknowledged  this  immediate  revelation 
of  the  Divine  will  to  be  their  basal  principle,  and  we 
are  happy  in  believing  that  it  is  becoming  acknowl- 
edged more  and  more  by  most  of  the  Christian 
professors. 

It  is  at  least  indirectly  so  acknowledged  by  all; 
for  not  a  prayer  is  offered  in  sincerity  but  recognizes 
the  possibility  of  the  Divine  Spirit  being  able  and 
willing  to  hear,  no  petition  to  God  for  aid  in  any 
direction  but  presupposes  a  direct  intercommunica- 
tion between  Him  and  man,  and  the  willingness  and 
power  of  the  Divine  to  furnish  the  aid  desired. 

So  we  come  to  the  conclusion  that  Quakerism  as 
thus  defined  underlies  all  that  is  vital  in  religion. 


14 


CHAPTER  SECOND. 


WHAT  QUAKERISM  IS  NOT. 

Quakerism  is  not  a  system  of  beliefs,  doctrines, 
or  unalterable  practices,  but  under  it  men  are  left  at 
liberty  to  adopt  such  beliefs,  doctrines,  or  practices  as 
the  evidence  furnished  by  their  en\'ironment,  their 
education,  their  manner  of  thinking,  or  other  influences 
may  present ;  God  making  use  of  all  these  diverse 
conditions,  where  the  basal  principle  is  acknowledged 
as  the  true  source  of  government,  to  lead  men  on 
from  one  step  or  gradation  to  another,  until  all  those 
things  which  are  really  non-essential,  when  the  man 
comes  fully  under  the  guidance  of  the  Divine  Spirit, 
can  be  laid  aside. 

Quakerism  does  not  assume  that  every  man, 
when  he  comes  under  the  guidance  of  the  Divine 
Spirit,  shall  immediately  reach  the  limit  of  attainment 
in  religious  experience,  but  recognizes  that  there  must 
be  a  growth  from  the  conception  of  the  truth  to  the 
babe-like  trust  and  confidence  in  it,  to  the  stature  of 
the  youth  in  freshness  and  vigor  of  the  young 
spiritual  life  full  of  energy  and  earnestness,  to  that  of 
the  more  mature  man,  who  moves  more  cautiously 


15 


with  the  deeper  sense  of  the  responsibilities  assumed, 
and  finally  to  that  of  the  pillar  of  the  church,  that 
shall  go  no  more  out,  so  firmly  established  in  the 
principles  of  truth  as  not  to  be  easily  'moved  from 
their  allegiance  to  the  Divine. 

Quakerism  does  not  assume  that  they  who 
acknowledge  its  basal  principle  must  necessarily  see 
all  things  through  the  same  medium,  and  hence  that 
all  must  accept  one  interpretation  of  the  truths  of  the 
Bible,  or  of  regarding  the  mission  of  Jesus  as  the 
Christ,  as  the  only  true  one. 

It  is  not  an  exact  system  of  theology  that  must 
be  adhered  to  by  all  its  professors  through  all  time, 
but  recognizes  the  fact  that  men  are  created  with 
different  endowments,  gifts,  or  talents,  and  that  no 
society  can  be  formed  which  shall  be  composed  of 
members  who  shall  all  think  alike  on  all  subjects. 

With  all  the  intermediate  stages  of  growth,  from 
that  of  the  babe  in  Christ  to  the  pillar  in  the  church, 
varied  influences,  some  hereditary,  some  constitutional, 
and  some  educational,  will  operate  to  lead  to  dilTerent 
conclusions  regarding  beliefs,  opinions,  or  courses  of 
action,  which  may  be  requisite  for  the  individual ;  and 
hence  the  Divine  does  not  require  impossibilities  of 
men,  but  adapts  His  law  to  meet  each  individual  case, 
only  requiring  of  each  a  faithful  living  up  to  the 
highest  light  received. 

This  may  be  objected  to  by  some,  as  tending  to 
disorder  and  to  the  disintegration  of  any  religious 

l6 


society ;  but  this  objection  may  be  answered  by 
recurring  to  the  fact  that  as  God  is  a  God  of  order, 
He  will  not  lead  those  who  seek  to  be  true  to  their 
highest  conception  of  His  requirements  into  disorder, 
for  it  must  be  admitted  that  the  difficulties  and 
dissensions  that  ha\'e  arisen  in  the  religious  world  have 
not  come  from  the  effort  of  the  individual  to  live  a 
life  in  conformity  to  the  requirements  of  the  Divine 
law  given  to  him,  but  from  an  apprehended  duty  that 
all  others  should  li\  e  up  to  or  obey  the  same  law. 

Religious  societies  frame  creeds  and  doctrines, ' 
and  then  ostracize  all  who  do  not  accept  or  li\'e  up  to 
.  them ;  and  the  imagined  duties  they  owe  to  God  to 
enforce  these  ideas,  have  led  to  all  the  disorders  (and 
shall  we  not  say  crimes  ?)  committed  in  the  name  of 
religion. 

Quakerism  does  not  demand  that  any  man  shall 
make  a  rule  to  govern  the  religious  life  of  another, 
nor  does  it  demand  or  permit  that  one  man  shall 
formulate  a  belief  for  another,  nor  does  it  require  the 
acceptance  of  any  especial  dogma  as  the  alone  sound 
one ;  it  only  looks  at  results. 

Does  a  man's  belief  and  religious  life  evidence  a 
true  lo\-e  for  God  and  man ;  does  the  fruit  of  that  life 
manifest  an  a\'oidance  pf  contention  and  strife ;  does  it 
show  compassion  for  the  erring  and  unfortunate ;  does 
it  manifest  honesty  and  integrity  in  its  business 
relations ;  does  it  make  a  true  and  faithful  husband  or 
wife,  parent  or  child,  brother  or  sister ;  does  it  lead  a 

17 


man  to  be  tolerant  and  charitable  of  the  views,  beliefs, 
and  devotions  of  another ;  does  it  always  tend  to 
uplift  humanity  and  control  selfishness ;  does  it 
recognize  the  true  Fatherhood  of  God  and  the 
Brotherhood  of  man, — then  Quakerism  has  no 
controversy  with  it.  These  will  be  the  e\  idences  or 
fruits  of  obedience  to  the  Divine  law,  as  unfolded  in 
each  heart,  although  it  may  be  manifested  in  different 
methods. 

All  this  we  feel  is  fully  corroborated  by  the 
example  and  teachings  of  Jesus,  to  whom  we  refer  as 
the  most  sacred  authority  that  was  ever  on  earth  in 
the  form  of  man. 

He  formulated  no  creed,  established  no  doctrine 
that  his  immediate  disciples  were  to  accept ;  he  laid 
down  no  specific  rule  for  the  private  life  as  to  dress  or 
language,  made  no  demands  for  any  uniformity,  but 
simply  said  :  "By  this  shall  all  men  know  ye  are  my 
disciples,  if  ye  have  love  one  to  another." — ^John  1 3-35. 

\Vhate\'er  may  be  the  religious  pretensions  of 
men,  if  there  be  lacking  this  love  in  its  highest  and 
broadest  sense,  it  is  an  evidence  that  there  is  not  a 
living  up  to  the  requirements  of  the  Divine  law  as 
immediately  re\  ealed  to  the  soul ;  hence  it  is  not  the 
law  or  its  revelation,  as  held  by  Quakerism,  that  is 
responsible  for  the  disorders  that  exist  or  ha\'e  existed 
among  men,  but  because  men  h-d\e  substituted  laws 
of  their  own  for  the  Di\'ine  law,  and  stamped  them  as 
Divine  requirements. 


18 


While  George  Fox  and  his  coadjutors  have  left 
in  their  writings  statements  of  their  beliefs  or 
interpretations  of  Scripture,  they  did  not,  however, 
make  the  effort  to  bind  them  upon  their  successors ; 
but  as  George  Fox  ga\'e  it  as  an  emphatic  legacy  to 
^'mind  the  light,"  we  are  at  liberty  at  least  to 
draw  the  inference  that  he  regarded  this  revelation  of 
God's  law  directly  to  the  soul  as  of  paramount 
importance,  and  abo\-e  all  conclusions  men  might 
reach  from  other  methods. 

We  find  that  the  mother  of  Fox  had  been 
careful  in  his  early  youth  to  ha\  e  him  trained  in  the 
doctrines  of  the  established  church,  and  this  training, 
no  doubt,  had  a  strong  influence  in  moulding  his  theo- 
logical opinions ;  and  inasmuch  as  he  did  not  attempt 
to  form  a  creed,  but  ga\'e  his  energies  to  the  work  of 
purifying  the  abuses  he  found  in  the  church,  and 
made  the  truth  he  had  discovered  that  God  did 
reveal  himself  to  the  children  of  men  in  his  age,  and 
that  an  obedience  to  that  revelation  would  keep  men 
out  of  the  excesses  of  sensual  conduct  he  found  in 
high  places,  Quakerism,  as  he  taught  it,  did  not 
consist  in  the  mere  adoption  of  any  creed,  doctrine,  or 
confession  of  faith  called  theological,  but  in  obedience 
to  the  requirements  of  this  light  within  the  souls  of 
men. 


19 


CHAPTER  THIRD. 


THE  PRACTICES  OF  QUAKERISM. 

SILENT  WORSHIP. 

If,  then,  the  fundamental  doctrine  of  Quakerism 
be  true,  and  that  man,  in  order  so  to  live  that  his  life 
shall  be  acceptable  in  the  Divine  sight,  must  be 
obedient  to  the  Divine  law  as  written  in  the  heart, 
and  put  in  the  inward  parts,  he  should  place  himself 
in  such  an  attitude  as  will  best  conduce  to  his 
acquiring  a  full  knowledge  of  that  law.  Hence,  there 
must  be  seasons  of  retirement  for  thought  and  medita- 
tion, wherein  the  cares  and  responsibilities  of  secular 
life  may  be  laid  aside,  or  when  the  anxieties  and 
troubles  and  sorrows  of  life  may  be  soothed  and 
quieted,  that  the  inner  consciousness  of  the  man  may 
be  awakened  to  hear  and  receive  those  impressions 
from  the  Divine  Spirit  by  which  the  law  is  unfolded 
or  imprinted. 

Such  seasons  of  retirement  and  meditation  bring 
the  soul  into  the  conscious  presence  of  the  Divine 
Spirit,  and  therefore  best  promote  an  intercourse 
from  which  the  life  may  be  rightly  directed. 


20 


But  inasmuch  as  mankind  are  in  different  stages 
of  growth  and  experience,  and  subject  to  great  varia- 
tions in  their  ability'  to  enter  into  these  seasons  of 
retirement,  with  their  natural  and  right  desire  lor 
social  mingling,  so  for  the  promotion  of  that  which 
is  the  most  important  of  all  the  growth  and  preserv  a- 
tion of  the  soul  life,  meetings  for  religious  worship 
ha\'e  been  instituted. 

Those  who  have  kindred  views  and  a  common 
object  seem  to  be  almost  irresistibly  drawn  together 
to  thus  promote  their  mutual  and  higher  interests. 

These  meetings  were  not  designed  to  be  seasons 
of  mere  entertainment,  nor  for  the  inculcation  of 
theological  ideas  alone,  but  for  deep  religious  instruc- 
tion of  a  practical  character  as  afl'ecting  the  individual 
life,  wherein  there  might  be  found  encouragement  for 
some  who  were  carr}-ing  hea\  y  burdens,  strength  for 
those  who  might  feel  themselves  weak,  or  a  deepening 
in  the  root  of  Di\-ine  life  within  them  for  some  who 
are  inclined  to  be  light  and  visionar}\ 

The  meetings,  if  rightly  held,  or  as  George 
Fox  expressed  it,  in  the  advice  to  hold  all  your 
meetings  in  the  power  of  God,"  attbrd  opportunities 
for  that  needed  meditation  which  is  often  interrupted 
in  the  home  lite.  While  each  heart  is  in  this  manner 
engaged  in  seeking  from  the  Di\'ine  that  which  is 
necessary  for  it,  it  may  be  in  harmony  with  the  Di\ine 
economy  that  some  one  of  those  assembled  may  be 
commissioned  with  a  message  that  shall  be  just  what 


21 


some  others  may  need  to  aid  them,  either  at  the  time 
or  at  some  future  season  of  intercommunication  with 
the  Divine  Spirit ;  and  when  so  delivered  it  will  not 
interrupt,  but  deepen  the  devotional  feeling  of  the 
assembly. 

To  pursue  a  formal,  ceremonial  routine  of  exer- 
cises at  each  meeting,  without  regard  to  the  character 
or  needs  of  those  assembled,  while  it  may  entertain 
for  the  time,  leaves  little  room  for  this  communion 
with  the  Divine  Spirit,  and  precludes  the  reception 
of  the  law  or  truth  that  may  be  needed  for  the 
present  or  future  guidance  of  the  life,  or  for  a 
restoration  to  harmony  with  the  law,  if  that  law  should 
have  been  broken. 

Hence,  Quakerism  regards  the  gathering  into 
stillness,  with  the  earnest  endeavor  on  the  part  of 
each  mind  assembled  for  public  Divine  worship,  to 
reverently  seek  to  know  just  what  the  loving  Father 
desires  to  reveal,  either  as  the  present  or  future  duty 
or  requirement,  or  such  a  knowledge  of  ourselves  or 
of  Him  as  will  be  suited  to  our  present  state  of 
experience,  to  be  the  highest  form  of  worship  we  can 
engage  in. 

THE  MINISTRY. 
While  Quakerism  recognizes  this  direct  com- 
munion with  the  Divine  Spirit,  if  its  directions  be 
obeyed,  to  be  sufficient  to  guide  and  direct  man  in  all 
the  duties  of  life,  it  does  not  overlook  the  fact  that  in 
consequence  of  the  departure  from  "iuch  a  dependence 


22 


by  our  ancestors  for  many  ages,  the  people  have 
become  so  accustomed  to  look  for  the  instrumental 
aid  ot"  the  Bible  and  the  ministry  of  men,  to 
expound  and  apply  the  truths  therein  contained, 
that  until  mankind  can  be  brought  nearer  to 
their  normal  state,  these  instrumental  means  will  be 
necessary ;  yet  it  does  not  believe  that  there  can  be 
any  true  ministry  that  shall  be  efficient  to  turn  the 
thoughts  of  those  to  whom  the  message  is  deli\'ered 
to  obedience  to  the  Di\'ine  requirement,  or  that  shall 
so  expound  the  truths  revealed  in  the  past  as  to  show 
their  applicability  to  the  needs  of  the  present  hour, 
or,  that  can  be  so  qualified  by  any  other  means  than 
by  the  direct  intercourse  with  the  Divine  Spirit,  and 
through  the  command  given  at  the  time  the  ministra- 
tion is  called  for.  So  it  was  revealed  to  George  Fox, 
that  going  to  Oxford  or  Cambridge  did  not  qualify  a 
man  to  be  a  gospel  minister  ;  but  the  fact  that  a  colle- 
giate education  did  not  furnish  this  qualification,  does 
•  not  imply  that  only  the  illiterate  or  unlearned  are 
in  a  condition  to  receive  the  Di\  ine  call  to  minister 
to  the  true  conditions  of  an  assembly,  or  that  such  a 
right  qualification  is  confined  to  any  one  particular 
sect. 

Quakerism  recognizes  such  an  obedience  to  all 
the  laws  of  man's  being  that  each  should  be  obeyed 
as  far  as  the  hunian  shall  understand  it ;  and  while  it 
regards  the  spiritual  as  the  highest  part  of  man's 
organization,  it  does  not  claim  that  the  lower  powers 


23 


of  his  nature  shall  be  neglected  or  uncultured. 
Hence,  it  believes  in  such  a  culture  of  the  intellect  as 
shall  enable  man  to  occupy  all  the  talents  with  which 
he  is  endowed,  and  if  he  has  a  gift  of  or  call  to  the 
ministry,  if  the  intellect  be  rightly  trained,  it  will  the 
better  qualify  him  to  give  expression  to  the  thought  or 
truth  that  the  Divine  Spirit  may  impress  upon  his 
inner  consciousness  as  the  message  to  be  delivered ; 
and  the  more  clearly  and  exactly  that  thought  or  truth 
is  expressed,  the  more  easily  will  it  be  understood, 
applied,  and  assimilated  by  those  who  hear  it. 

Quakerism  believes  that  there  is  only  one  power  • 
that  is  infinite  and  all  knowing,  and  that  is  the  Divine 
Being  we  call  God ;  and  hence  only  that  power  can 
instruct  the  minister  it  calls  into  service  as  to  what 
will  be  best  adapted  to  aid  those  assembled  to  offer 
true  spiritual  worship,  which  is  or  should  be  the  aim 
and  object  of  the  ministry.  ' 

Theological  dogmas  and  doctrines,  however  true 
they  may  be,  are  by  no  means  essential  to  that 
worship  which  is  performed  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  and 
hence  a  discussion  of  these,  however  eloquent  and 
ferv^ent,  does  not  necessarily  constitute  an  aid  to  such 
a  worship. 

The  giving  expression  to  a  truth  directly 
impressed  upon  the  mind  and  enforced  from  the  life 
and  practical  experience  of  the  minister,  the  utterance 
of  a  truth  that  may  have  been  spoken  or  written  by 
one  inspired  in  the  past,  and  which  may  meet  the 


24 


condition  of  a  mind  which  may  be  present,  the 
expounding  of  what  has  been  deemed  an  essential 
principle  of  religion,  by  a  minister  whose  experience 
and  devotion  qualifies  him  under  the  direct  require- 
ment of  the  Spirit  to  clearly  define  it,  constitutes  a 
true  gospel  ministry,  and  does  not  need  a  special 
theological  education  to  qualify  one  called  into  such 
a  ser\-ice  to  deliver  it. 

Because  the  tendency  of  such  a  theological 
education  is  to  lead  men  to  rely  upon  the  acquire- 
ments of  the  intellect,  to  place  most  stress  upon 
authorized  interpretations  of  Scripture,  or  dogmas 
and  doctrines  drawn  therefrom,  and  hence  to  regard 
these  as  an  essential  part  of  worship,  to  present 
and  enlarge  upon  them,  or  to  call  the  attention  of  the 
people  to  them  as  being  essentials  of  religion,  tends 
to  distract  the  attention  of  the  mind  from  the  inter- 
communication of  the  soul  with  God,  and  to  lead  it 
to  regard  non-essentials  as  of  more  importantance 
than  the  essentials,  or  rather  to  regard  belief  and 
opinion  as  more  important  than  the  right  life, 
Quakerism  therefore  has  not  built  any  theological 
seminaries  nor  placed  any  dependence  upon  a  mere 
theologically  educated  ministry". 

From  the  fact  that  the  qualification  to  speak 
such  truths,  or  express  such  thoughts,  as  shall  tend  to 
aid  the  individual  to  listen  to  and  obey  the  voice  of 
the  Divine  as  spoken  to  man's  inner  being,  comes  as 
a  free  gift  from  the  Divine  Spirit,  and  that  it  is  not 


25 


requisite  that  any  special  preparation  should  be  made 
in  order  that  what  may  be, ^spoken  shall  meet  the 
needs  of  those  assembled,  and  that  ministers  will  have 
such  a  perfect  trust  in  the  dictation  and  direction  of 
the  Divine  Spirit  that  what  may  be  needed  to  be 
delivered  will  be  given  at  the  time  and  for  the 
especial  purpose  for  which  it  may  be  required, 
Quakerism  claims  that  such  a  ministry  should  be  as 
reely  given  as  the  qualification  is  freely  received, 
without  expectation  of  pecuniary  reward  from  man. 

But  that  does  not,  however,  imply  that  there 
may  not  be  circumstances  in  which  a  minister  may. 
receive  such  pecuniary  aid  as  may  be  necessary  to 
enable  him  to  fully  and  faithfully  occupy  his  gift,  in 
the  performance  of  such  an  apprehended  service  for 
the  truth  as  may  meet  the  approving  judgment  of 
his  friends,  when  that  aid  is  freely  offered  for  such  a 
purpose.  This,  then  is  the  idea  of  Quakerism, 
concerning  a  free  gospel  ministry,  as  understood  by 
the  writer. 

DEPORTMENT  AND  DRESS. 

Quakerism  does  not  demand  any  other  deport- 
ment than  that  which  is  required  under  the  golden  rule 
as  expressed  by  Jesus,  "  Whatsoever  ye  would  that 
men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them," 
which  requires  us  to  be  courteous,  aftable,  and  kind, 
without  affectation,  simulation,  or  flattery,  regarding 
the  rights  and  feelings  of  others,  as  we  want  our  own 
respected,  and   in  all  our   associations  with  men, 

26 


whether  in  the  social,  the  business,  or  the  religious 
mingling,  keeping  control  of  the  temper,  avoiding 
the  repitition  of  anything  which  is  calculated  to 
detract  from  the  character  or  standing  of  another ; 
kind  and  loving  in  the  home  life,  generous  and 
benevolent  to  the  unfortunate,  without  any  especial 
peculiarity  that  shall  attract  undue  attention  as  being 
extraordinary,  with  becoming  gravity  and  dignity  on 
occasions  of  religious  worship,  blending  dignity  with 
cheerfulness  in  the  social  life,  suavity  and  truthfulness 
in  business  transactions,  ever  regarding  a  promise 
given  as  sacred  as  a  written  bond,  the  address  to 
others  expressed  in  simple  language  to  all  men  alike, 
avoiding  the  mere  compliment  in  which  there  is  no 
real  sincerity,  keeping  to  a  plain  form  of  language 
without  harshness  or  bluntness,  thus  evincing  that 
obediente  to  the  law  written  in  the  heart  has  the 
power  to  control  and  regulate  the  life  in  all  these 
respects. 

Quakerism  does  not  require  a  uniformity  of 
dress  either  in  pattern  or  color,  but  does  expect  of 
those  who  embrace  it,  the  control  of  that  disposition 
which  would  lead  to  following  the  e\'er  varying 
fashions  in  form  and  style  of  dress,  which  so  often 
tends  not  only  to  closely  occupy  time  which  might 
otherwise  be  more  usefully  employed,  but  engenders 
a  rivalry  which  not  unfrequently  leads  to  financial 
injury  and  sometimes  to  moral  ruin,  or  to  arous- 
ing a  jealous  competition  which  tends  to  interfere 


27 


with  and  lessen  the  influence  of  the  sweet  amenties  of 
human  life,  which  were  designed  to  be  useful  in 
promoting  the  enjoyments  of  social  life. 

Hence,  the  adoption  of  a  style  of  dress  that  does 
not  attract  undue  attention,  either  by  its  conspicuous 
display  of  form  or  color,  or  by  its  extreme  eccen- 
tricity, but  which  is  suited  to  the  means  and  good  taste 
of  the  wearer,  and  which  shall  not  occupy  the  thought 
to  the  exclusion  of  higher  duties,  is  not  only 
admissible  but  commendable,  and  the  adoption  of 
such  changes  from  time  to  time,  as  may  make  the 
dress  more  comfortable  and  convenient,  or  less  likely 
to  attract  undue  attention  from  the  causes  above 
noted,  would  be  proper  and  right. 

MUSIC. 

For  many  years,  under  an  apprehension  that  the 
cravings  of  the  animal  nature  were  to  be  so  controlled 
and  denied,  that  the  mind  might  not  be  diverted  from 
a  contemplation  of  religious  things,  it  was  the  practice 
among  Friends  to  almost  entirely  debar  their 
members  from  the  use  of  musical  instruments,  and 
the  use  of  the  vocal  organs  in  singing ;  but  the  writer 
thinks  this  was  largely  due  to  a  misapprehension  of 
the  Divine  requirement,  influenced  in  no  small 
degree  by  the  ascetic  feelings  of  the  puritanic  age, 
and  hence  there  was  not  the  proper  discrimination 
between  the  right  use  of  one  of  the  endowments 
man  received  from  his  Creator,  and  the  abuse  of  that 
endowment. 

28 


While  Quakerism  does  not  find  any  need  of 
either  instrumental  or  vocal  music,  as  an  auxiliary  to 
a  worship  to  be  performed  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  it 
does  not  by  any  means  follow  that  man  may  not 
enjoy  the  harmony  of  sounds  produced  instru- 
mentally  or  \-ocally,  when  the  thought  expressed  in 
the  hymn  or  song  may  be  uplifting  and  elevating,  or 
may  tend  to  deepen  our  love  for  the  Divine,  provided 
that  it  does  not  absorb  too  much  of  the  time  that 
ought  to  be  otherwise  devoted  to  the  practical  duties 
of  life. 

Quakerism  does  not  recognize  the  need  of  music 
in  its  form  of  worship  ;  for  while  the  tendency  may  be 
to  sooth  and  still  the  wilder  emotions,  it  may  distract 
from  the  more  serious  contemplation  of  the  individual 
needs  of  those  assembled,  and  prevent  the  voice  of 
the  Divine,  as  teacher  and  instructor,  being  heard  : 
and  yet  it  has  no  controversy  with  the  singing  of 
vocal  praise  to  God,  if  it  be  felt  to  be  an  immediate 
requisition  for  the  time  and  the  occasion.  It  would 
only  discard  the  employment  of  those  who  have 
especially  culti\'ated  that  talent,  and  who  make  it  a 
practice  to  prepare  special  service  for  the  hour  of 
worship,  and  those  lives  are  often  at  variance  with 
the  language  they  are  using  while  singing. 

It  is  against  these  formal  observances  either  of 
preaching  or  singing,  without  the  immediate  call  or 
requisition,  that  Quakerism  has  a  testimony,  which 
leads  in  to  discard  music  in  its  meetings  for  public 
worship. 

2Q 


V 


CHAPTER  FOURTH. 


SOME  BELIEFS  OF  QUAKERISM. 

THE  SCRIPTURES  OR  BIBLE. 

Quakerism  teaches  that  all  the  truths  contained 
in  the  Bible  were  given  to  man  through  insj^iration, 
the  same  in  character  and  kind  as  constitutes  its 
fundamental  principle,  but  it  does  not  acknowledge 
that  no  other  than  those  of  whom  the  Bible  gives  us 
an  account,  received  this  inspiration,  nor  does  it 
acknowledge  that  such  inspiration  ceased  after  the 
Scriptures  were  written. 

Inasmuch  as  all  inspiration  thus  received, 
when  unmixed  with  human  thought,  is  truth,  as  God 
is  Truth,  so  Quakerism  acknowledges  these  truths  to 
be  as  sacred  to-clay  as  in  any  age  of  the  world ;  but  it 
requires  that  these  truths  shall  be  unfolded,  explained, 
or  expounded  to  men  in  this  day  by  the  same 
inspiration,  and  that  each  man  must  interpret  these 
truths  for  himself  in  order  that  they  may  be  of 
benefit  to  him,  by  the  revelation  made  in  his  own 
inner  life,  or  by  the  acceptance  of  the  interpretation 
revealed  to  another,  when  that  interpretation  is 
sanctioned  by  the  direct  revelation  of  the  Spirit  to 
him. 

30 


Hence  Quakerism  regards  the  Scriptures  as  an 
invaluable  instrument  to  aid  in  man's  spiritual 
progress,  profitable  to  him,  as  Paul  in  writing  Timothy 
testified :  "  Every  scripture  inspired  of  God  is  also 
profitable  for  teaching,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for 
instruction,  which  is  in  righteousness,  that  the  man  of 
God  may  be  complete,  furnished  completely  unto 
every  good  work,"  but  not  as  authority  to  displace 
the  direct  revelation  of  the  spirit. 

The  circumstances  and  conditions  of  men  change 
in  accordance  with  their  environment,  and  v\  hile.  a 
law  may  be  especially  adapted  to  meet  these 
conditions  in  one  age  of  the  world,  in  another  age  it 
may  become  obsolete  or  unnecessary ;  hence  a  fresh 
law  must  be  given,  adapted  to  the  present  needs. 

JESUS. 

Quakerism  recognizes  in  Jesus  the  highest  type 
of  its  fundamental  principle  in  the  control  of  a  human 
life,  as  an  especial  Son  of  God  in  a  human  form, 
coming  to  exemplify  the  effects  of  a  perfect  obedience 
by  the  man  to  the  inwardly  re\'ealed  law,  showing 
in  all  his  life  the  grand  results  that  would  ensue  to 
man  by  following  his  perfect  example. 

It  accepts  the  Christ,  v/hich  dwelt  in  and  directed 
and  controlled  that  humanity,  as  the  true  or  only 
begotten  Son  of  God,  and  hence  Divine,  and  as  by 
that  incarnation  of  the  Spirit,  or  the  Christ  in  the 
body,  it  came  to  be  governed  and  directed  by  it. 


31 


empowered  to  perform  the  mighty  works,  and  declare 
the  sublime  truths  which  are  recorded  as  having  been 
performed  and  uttered  by  him,  the  nature  of  the 
human  in  him  became  incorporated  into  the  Divine, 
and  he  lived  the  sinless  life,  and  in  this  became  not 
only  a  perfect  example  of  the  effects  of  obedience  to 
the  Divine  will,  but  a  perfect  illustration  of  what  God 
designed  the  normal  state  of  man  to  be.  Hence, 
his  teachings,  so  practical,  so  closely  adapted  to 
human  needs,  so  capable  of  being  lived  out  by  man 
under  the  guidance  of  the  Divine  Spirit,  become  of 
paramount  authority,  as  an  instrumental  guide,  or  aid 
to  a  true  human  life. 

With  the  manner  of  his  birth,  or  the  effects  of 
his  death  and  resurrection  as  a  means  of  salvation, 
Quakerism  as  a  principle  has  but  little  to  do.  It 
leaves  each  individual  to  form  his  own  conclusions 
concerning  them,  from  the  recorded  testimony,  or  in 
accordance  with  the  revelations  of  truth  to  his  mind. 
It  can  take  no  part  in  the  controversy  which 
has  so  long  agitated  the  professed  Christian 
church  regarding  these  dogmas,  because  it  has  only 
to  do  with  the  private  life  and  public  action  of  the 
individual,  independent  of  his  beliefs. 

GOD. 

Quakerism  acknowledges  but  one  God,  who  is 
not  only  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  universe,  but  the 
creator  of  all  material  things,  the  originator  of  all 


32 


iorms  of  material  life,  and  the  Father  of  all  spiritual 
life.  Also  that  God  is  spirit,  and  hence  not  confined 
to  any  located  place  ;  but  His  presence  as  spirit  comes 
in  contact  with  all  His  works,  and  especially  has  an 
oversight  of  that  spiritual  life  of  which  He  is  the 
Father. 

He  is  therefore  omnipresent,  and  at  the  same 
time  omnipotent  and  omniscient,  and  yet  has  delegated 
to  man  the  power  of  choice,  as  to  whether  he  will 
follow  the  demands  of  appetite  and  passion  or  submit 
himself  to  the  control  of  his  spiritual  nature,  through 
the  revelation  of  the  Divine  law  made  directly  to  it. 

It  acknowledges  one  faith  which  is  the"  evidence 
of  things  not  seen,  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for," 
in  that  when  the  man  submits  his  life  or  will  to  the 
direction  of  the  Divine  will,  it  is  with  the  confidence 
that  God  will  lead,  care  for,  and  direct  him  rightiy, 
although  he  cannot  see,  or  does  not  know  the  purpose 
God  may  have  in  view,  or  what  shall  be  the  full  result 
of  such  obedience ;  and  that  confidence  becomes  the 
substance  of  the  thing  hoped  for,  because  it  leads  to 
a  perfect  trust  that  God  will  do,  or  order  to  be  done, 
that  which  will  best  promote  his  true  happiness. 

Such  a  faith  must  not  be  confounded  with  a  mere 
belief  in  God,  or  in  His  power  and  goodness,  but  must 
consist  in  an  active  co-operation  with  His  immediately 
revealed  will. 

It  acknowledges  one  baptism,  which  is  not  that 
of  any  outward  element,  but  of  the  spirit,  and  which 


33 


may  be  called  an  immersion  into  or  a  covering  of  the 
spirit  of  the  man  by  the  Divine  Spirit ;  or  in  other 
words,  the  motive  or  ground  work  of  the  action  of  the 
human  becomes  so  harmonized  with  the  Divine,  that 
the  highest  aim  of  the  individual  is  to  be  true  to  his 
clearest  conception  of  the  Divine  requirement,  ever, 
as  an  obedient  pupil,  being  on  the  alert  to  learn  well 
each  lesson  given,  and  to  be  prompt  in  obedience  to 
the  requirements  of  the  law  as  given  for  each  day's 
duty. 

It  sees  in  this  care  of  the  Divine  over  man  in 
adapting  His  law  to  meet  all  conditions  and  circum- 
stances, in  the  long  forbearance  with  him,  and  the 
repeated  overtures  for  his  return  when  he  has  violated 
law,  that  such  a  God  and  Father  has  for  his  highest 
attribute  the  principle  of  love,  and  can  therefore 
truly  say,  God  is  Love. 


34 


CHAPTER  FIFTH. 


SALVATION. 

Inasmuch  as  the  object  of  all  religious  profession 
■and  devotional  exercise  is  intended  to  procure  for 
the  soul  of  man  either  restoration  from  the  effects  of 
committed  sin  or  a  preservation  from  its  commission, 
it  will  naturally  be  asked,  will  Quakerism,  as  herein- 
before described,  be  effective  in  producing  such  a 
result  or  in  promoting  such  an  object  ? 

Before  answering  that  it  will,  it  is  necessary  to 
define  what  w^e  understand  by  the  term  Salvation. 

That  all  who  profess  to  be  christians  have  a 
hope  of  being  admitted  into  Heaven  in  the  hereafter, 
as  the  result  of  their  religious  life  or  profession,  we 
apprehend  will  not  be  seriously  questioned.  That  all 
who  have  committed  major  or  minor  sins  of  omission 
or  commission  hope,  through  their  various  religious 
faiths  and  devotions,  to  be  pardoned  after  they  pass 
from  earth  and  come  to  the  day  of  judgment,  is  also 
true;  and  while  many  seem  to  have  vague  and  uncertain 
ideas  regarding  the  means  of  accomplishing  such 
results,  Quakerism,  from  the  standpoint  of  the  writer^ 


35 


presents  a  simple,  practical,  and  entirely  efficient 
solution  of  the  subject. 

It  holds  that  the  saving  of  man  from  the 
commission  of  sin  is  the  primary  object  of  the 
immediate  revelation  of  the  Divine  law  to  him,  by 
teaching  him  what  he  ought  to  do,  and  what  he  ought 
to  leave  undone ;  first,  as  regards  that  which  only 
affects  himself,  and  second,  as  regards  that  which  will 
affect  all  with  whom  he  may  come  in  contact.  When 
we  closely  investigate  the  sources  from  which  wrong 
or  evil  comes  into  any  one's  life,  or  through  any 
individual  enters  into  the  world  and  hinders  the  well 
being  of  the  race,  we  shall  find  that  source  to  lie 
within  the  individual  from  or  through  whom  it  comes, 
by  his  giving  undue  latitude  to  some  one  or  more  of 
the  passions,  appetites,  and  dispositions  with  which  all 
are  endowed,  and  which,  too,  are  necessary  to  enable 
the  man  to  rightly  perform  the  functions  of  human 
life;  and  it  follows,  as  self-evident,  that  if  these  endow- 
ments were  always  used  just  so  far  and  no  farther 
than  to  fulfill  their  proper  functions,  no  e\il  would 
result. 

But  the  man,  before  experience  has  taught  him 
how  far  reaching  are  the  results  of  the  improper 
indulgence  of  that  which  was  intended  for  good,  has 
to  depend  upon  imparted  information  for  the  needed 
knowledge ;  and  while  this  may  in  part  come  from  the 
experience  of  other  men,  as  no  t^vo  individuals  are 
placed  in  precisely  similar  conditions,  so  no  law  can 


36 


be,  as  a  general  rule,  adapted  to  the  conditions  ol  all ; 
and  as  a  special  law  is  needed  for  the  government  of 
each  indi\-idual  in  all  that  concerns  human  happiness, 
it  follows  that  only  an  ommiscient  Being  or  Power 
could  be  able  to  give  the  needed  knowledge,  or 
impart  the  needed  law,  to  meet  e\  ery  emergency;  and 
this  brings  us  again  to  the  fundamental  principle  of 
Quakerism  as  a  necessity  in  ettecting  man's  salvation 
from  the  commission  of  sin. 

To  make  this  still  more  plain  we  will  call  the 
reader's  attention  to  a  few  illustrations  of  what  we 
understand  bv  this  idea  of  sah  ation. 

There  is  implanted  in  human  nature  an  appetite 
we  call  thirst,  upon  the  proper  gratihcation  of  which 
depends  not  only  the  health,  but  the  very  continuance 
of  the  life  of  the  body ;  and  while  the  demands  of  this 
appetite  are  satisfied  in  moderation  with  the  proper 
fluid,  the  health  of  the  body  is  promoted,  and  its  life 
prolonged ;  but  if  it  cra\  e  a  fluid  that  cannot  be 
assimilated  so  as  to  promote  the  object  intended,  but 
which  on  the  contrar}-"  is  calculated  to  injure  the 
health  and  promote  the  destruction  of  its  usefulness, 
it  is  self-evident  that  to  yield  to  such  a  demand  would 
be  a  wrong  and  an  evil,  which  would  not  only  affect 
the  individual  who  thus  gratified  the  demand  of  this 
appetite,  but  in  so  far  as  it  interferred  with  his  useful- 
ness, would  affect  the  well  being  of  human  societv'. 

We  have  a  powerful  illustration  of  the  truth  ot 
this  statement,  in  the  existence  amongst  us  of  the  traffic 


37 


in,  and  use  of  intoxicating  liquors  to  satisfy  the 
demands  of  a  perverted  appetite.  All  will  perhaps 
readily  agree  that  individuals,  as  intregal  parts  of 
societ}^  need  to  be  saved  from  this  evil  or  sin;  but  how? 
Quakerism  would  say  to  the  individual,  Give  thy 
obedience  to  the  impressions  of  the  Divine  Spirit  upon 
thy  inner  lile ;  for  this  will  teach  thee  when,  where, 
and  how  far  to  gratify  the  demands  of  this  appetite, 
to  control  its  cravings,  and  if  thou  will  listen  to  it,  it 
will  gi\-e  thee  the  strength  to  overcome  the  temptation, 
and  thus  save  thee  from  yielding  to  it,  and  from  the 
commission  of  the  wrong  or  z'm,  in  this  particular, 
thou  might  ha\  e  otherwise  committed. 

If  there  be  any  passion  which  is  God  given 
and  necessary  for  human  existence  or  sustenance,  or 
to  promote  the  best  interest  of  mankind,  but  which,  if 
indulged  selfishly,  would  tend  to  interfere  with  these 
legitimate  objects  of  its  bestowal,  when  the  temptation 
comes  to  improperly  gratify,  or  indulge  it,  the 
impression  will  be  given,  if  we  look  for  it,  as  to  how 
far  it  may  or  ought  to  be  indulged ;  and  as  the  check 
is  thus  given,  if  listened  to  and  followed,  it  will  save 
us  from  the  commission  of  the  wrong  which  the 
improper  indulgence  would  have  produced. 

If,  after  in  our  experience,  we  have  become  fitted 
to  enter  upon  some  form  of  acti\-e  work  which  in  the 
Divine  economy  we  may  be  made  an  instrument 
to  accomplish,  the  impression  comes  to  our 
inner  consciousness  that  we  are  the  instrument 


38 


the  Divine  sees  best  to  use  for  that  purpose,  we 
reason  that  we  are  unfit  for  it,  or  unworthy,  or  are 
afraid  to  enter  upon  the  work,  and  neglect  or  refuse 
k)  do  so,  we  shall  then  be  guilty  of  the  sin  of 
omission,  which  may  as  powerfully  aftect  our 
happiness  as  some  sin  of  commission.  But  it  we 
unhesitatingly  and  willingly  endea\  or  to  do  the  best 
we  can  with  the  power  gi\-en,  and  enter  upon  the 
work  confiding  in  the  Di\-ine  Spirit  for  the  needed 
abilit}',  strength,  and  direction,  we  shall  be  saved  from 
the  sin  of  omission  in  the  performance  of  such  a  duty, 
and  so  as  we  may  go  through  the  A\  hole  catalogue  of 
human  actions,  we  shall  find  J:he  same  results  to  follow, 
viz:  that  obedience  to  our  highest  conception  of 
Divine  law  and  requirement  will  sa\'e  us  from  the 
sins  of  commission  or  omission. 

Quakerism,  then,  touches  every  act  of  human 
life,  lays  the  axe  at  the  root  of  every  corrupt 
tendency,  and  saves  the  man  from  sinning  h^^ 
controlling  that  from  which  sin  springs. 

It  requires  of  its  votary  an  unbounded  faith  in 
the  immediate  revelation  of  the  Di\'ine  Spirit  as  a 
sufficient  law  for  human  guidance,  and  sees  in 
obedience  to  that  law  the  only  way  of  sah'ation. 

But  it  may  be  objected  that  this  belongs  to  this 
life  only ;  to  which  may  be  returned  the  answer,  that 
it  is  perfectly  reasonable  to  presume  that  a  soul  that 
is  obedient  to  its  clearest  perception  of  Divine  law 


39 


while  in  this  life,  and  is  thereby  preserved  from  the 
commission  of  sin,  will  have  all  the  assurance  it  can 
possibly  need^that  when  it  enters  the  higher  life,  the 
same  loving  Father,  God,  or  Divine  Spirit,  through 
and  by  whom  it  has  been  preserved  from  the 
commission  of  sin,  will  not  do  otherwise  than  accept  it 
as  worthy  of  a  home  with  Him  in  the  eternal  world. 

Inasmuch  as  such  a  preservation  or  salvation 
promotes  human  happiness,  by  making  the  individual 
who  thus  lives  more  kind,  more  loving,  more  true  in 
all  his  relations  with  his  fellow  men,  more  benevolent 
and  more  self-sacrificing  than  are  those  who  do  not 
so  live,  it  will  naturally  follow  that  by  such  a  life  of 
self-denial  as  such  an  obedience  to  the  Divine  law 
requires,  we  become  better  fitted  to  enjoy  the  heaven 
of  our  hopes  and  aspirations. 

RESTORATION. 

It  may  be  regarded  as  self-evident,  that  few  if 
any  of  the  human  family  attain  to  the  high  ideal 
referred  to  in  the  foregoing  section  on  salvation. 

The  history  of  the  race  shows  a  very  early 
departure  from  the  normal  condition  in  which  man 
was  placed,  and  from  obedience  to  the  Divine  law,  as 
given  directly  to  the  man.  The  whole  Scriptural 
account  gives  us  the  many  forms  in  which  this 
departure  was  made,  and  the  varied  means  the  Divine 
has  from  time  to  time  employed  to  induce  a  return  to 


40 


that  normal  state ;  hence  it  becomes  a  question  of  no 
small  moment,  as  to  how  Quakerism  would  deal  with 
this  phase  of  the  subject,  so  as  to  effect  the  return  to 
or  reconciliation  of  the  erring  man  with  God. 

Suppose,  by  way  of  illustration,  an  individual 
has  committed  a  violation  of  some  part  of  the  moral 
law,  against  which  there  is  not  only  the  written 
command,  but  the  impression  of  the  unwritten  law  in 
the  heart.  Is  it  not  self-evident  that  there  must 
be  a  ceasing  from  that  violation,  and  an  earnest  effort 
to  recover  the  former  standard  by  an  amended  life, 
before  there  can  be  a  reconciliation  effected  ?  for  the 
impression  or  law  given  to  the  inner  consciousness 
is  ever,  thou  shall  not  do  this  thing.  An  obedience 
to  this  law  thus  given  would  lead  to  a  ceasing  from 
the  violation. 

Then  there  will  be  the  command  or  impression 
to  perform,  in  the  present  and  in  the  future,  the 
requisitions  of  that  law  or  to  refrain  from  breaking  it. 
Obedience  to  these  latter  requirements  w^ould  reconcile 
the  man  with  the  Divine  ;  and  this  is  true  with  every 
form  of  transgression  or  sin. 

Restoration  then  is  effected  by  simply  ceasing  to 
do  wTong  and  stri\ing  to  do  right ;  and  here  the 
fundamental  principle  of  Quakerism  becomes  the 
means  of  effecting,  through  man's  obedience,  the 
reconciliation  that  is  needed  to  restore  the  soul  to  its 
normal  stare  of  acceptance  with  the  Father. 


41 


We  might  quote  from  the  early  history  of  man- 
kind, and  more  especially  from  the  teachings  of  Jesus, 
to  coroborate  and  prove  this  thought  or  truth ;  but 
will  leave  it  for  the  reader  to  seek  out  those  corob- 
orating  evidences  in  the  Scripture  testimony  to  prove 
its  correctness,  preferring  to  appeal  to  that  which  will 
be  patent  to  every  observing,  unprejudiced,  and 
thoughtful  mind. 


42 


CHAPTER  SIXTH. 


CONCLUSION. 

This  fundamental  truth  of  the  indwelling  of  the 
Divine  Spirit  or  Christ  in  man  as  the  medium  of 
communication  between  the  soul  and  its  Father,  God, 
by  which  the  law  needed  for  man's  guidance  is 
unfolded,  and  the  Divine  truths  necessary  for  the 
man  to  learn  are  imparted,  which  in  this  book  the 
writer  has  denominated  Quakerism,  because  the 
Society  of  Friends,  called  Quakers,  have  made  it  the 
corner  stone  of  their  religious  structure,  is  by  no 
means  confined  to  the  few  who  bear  that  name,  but 
permeates  in  some  form  and  manner,  all  ideas  ot 
religious  profession.  It  is  as  old  as  time  to  the 
sentient,  conscious  man,  was  rexdved  again  and  again 
in  the  prophets,  but  found  its  fullest  development  in 
Jesus  Christ,  and  is  to-day  becoming  more  and  more 
widely  acknowledged  among  the  different  sects  of 
Christian  professors. 

Whatever  may  appear  to  be  the  necessity  for 
the  human  family  of  the  many  forms  of  belief  and 
profession,  when  it  comes  to  effecting  the  change  of 
heart,  a  consecrating  of  the  life  to  the  service  of  God, 


43 


a  living  out  the  vital  essence  of  all  religion,  then  will 
be  seen  that  all  rests  upon  what  we  have  denominated 
Quakerism. 

It  does  not  necessarily  follow  that  because  this 
principle  underlies  all  that  is  vital  in  religion, 
men  must  see  alike  in  all  things,  even  those  of  a 
religious  nature. 

For  as  in  the  outer  world  God  has  nowhere 
required  that  uniformity  of  shape,  size,  color,  habits, 
&c.,  should  be  essential  to  harmony,  so  in  the  spiritual 
life.  He  does  not  require  uniformity  of  thought  or 
action  in  life,  to  manifest  the  evidence  that  we  are 
striving  to  be  obedient  to  His  law,  only  in  so  far  as  an 
unreserved  obedience  to  the  inner  revelation  of  that  law 
leads  to  purity  of  life,  and  to  an  unselfish  love  for 
all  the  human  family  in  the  distinct  and  different 
relations  we  bear  to  each  other. 

The  more  this  underlying  principle  of  Quakerism 
is  understood,  promulgated,  and  lived  out,  the  more 
will  it  harmonize  seeming  differences ;  the  less  con- 
tentious will  men  become  for  the  soundness  of  their  ^ 
faith ;  the  more  unselfish  will  they  be  in  their  actions 
one  toward  another  in  the  private  or  public  walks  of 
life ;  the  more  earnest  will  they  be  to  induce  their 
fellows  to  be  obedient  to  this  Divine  Law  for  them  ; 
and  the  more  will  they  manifest  their  love  for  the 
Supreme  Divine  Father,  by  their  unselfish  love  for 
their  fellow  man. 


44 


Under  such  a  religious  life  wars  and  bloodshed 
would  cease  from  among  men;  contentions,  strifes,  and 
controversies  about  religious  doctrines  would  be 
stilled ;  underrating  or  o\'errating  in  trade  or  in  state- 
ments regarding  character  would  disappear ;  human 
desires  in  the  sensual  would  be  more  generally 
controlled;  many  of  the  inequalites  in  outward 
circumstances  would  be  equalized.  Love  in  its 
broadest,  fullest  sense  would  be  more  generally  a 
ruling  principle ;  and  there  would  be  in  reality  the 
ushering  in  of  the  day  when  the  fullness  of  the 
knowledge  of  the  Lord  would  co\'er  the  earth  as  the 
waters  cover  the  sea. 


45 


Date  Due 

Mr  30*3] 

» 

Pt  -  "  

f 

i 
1 

